Godthol

From Grytviken, we sailed south along the coast towards a small harbour called Godthol. The first three images are views of icebergs and the shore along the way.

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A recently wounded bull fur seal, encountered just after disembarking from the zodiac.

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It was Spring and at many places along the coast, male fur seals were fiercely defending territory while they awaited the arrival of the females.

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This is a young fur seal. You had to be careful walking though the knee-high tussocks by the beach, so as not to stumble into a fur seal.

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Not so much of a problem asleep in the open, though.

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Here Roy Mangersnes is having a close encounter with a female elephant seal. Elephant seals are not a problem in the same way as fur seals.

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Gentoo penguin.

Most of our party headed off over the hills seeking nesting birds, possibly albatrosses, I don’t remember. I stayed at the beach which turned out to be fortunate. I managed to score a zodiac ride in the bay with just a few others, as the approaching sunset cast a glow in the water, partly reflected off the yellow grasses on the hills.

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Fur seal and elephant seal.

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Elephant seal.

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Antarctic tern …

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… diving for small fish (or having just dived in this case).

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Elephant seal.

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And this is a South Georgia Cormorant, very similar to the King Cormorants we saw in the Falklands.

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I took a whole series of these graceful birds swimming around and diving in the golden water.

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Shaking off the water after a dive. You may need to click to a larger image to see it properly.